Literary Terms, ELE-GAU
Want to be able to distinguish your limericks from your haikus and your paeans from your panegyrics? Dive deep into literary terms and forms.
Literary Terms Encyclopedia Articles By Title
elegy
elegy, meditative lyric poem lamenting the death of a public personage or of a friend or loved one; by extension,......
elf
elf, in Germanic folklore, originally, a spirit of any kind, later specialized into a diminutive creature, usually......
elision
elision, (Latin: âstriking outâ), in prosody, the slurring or omission of a final unstressed vowel that precedes......
Elizabethan literature
Elizabethan literature, body of works written during the reign of Elizabeth I of England (1558â1603), probably......
ellipsis
ellipsis, figure of speech characterized by the deliberate omission of a word or words that are, however, understood......
embedded journalism
embedded journalism, the practice of placing journalists within and under the control of one sideâs military during......
emblem book
emblem book, collection of symbolic pictures, usually accompanied by mottoes and expositions in verse and often......
Emily Wilson on the Odyssey
Emily Wilson is having a moment. Her acclaimed 2017 translation of Homerâs Odyssey helped inspire Christopher Nolanâs......
enclosed rhyme
enclosed rhyme, in poetry, the rhyming pattern abba found in certain quatrains, such as the first verse of Matthew......
encomium
encomium, a prose or poetic work in which a person, thing, or abstract idea is glorified. Originally an encomium......
end rhyme
end rhyme, in poetry, a rhyme that occurs in the last syllables of verses, as in stanza one of Robert Frostâs âStopping......
end stop
end stop, in prosody, a grammatical pause at the end of a line of verse, as in these lines from Alexander Popeâs......
English literature
English literature, the body of written works produced in the English language by inhabitants of the British Isles......
- Introduction
- Old English, Poetry, Manuscripts
- Prose, Novels, Poetry
- Medieval, Poetry, Romance
- Lyric Poetry, Verse Forms, Metrics
- Medieval, Renaissance, Poetry
- Chaucer, Gower, Poetry
- Medieval, Prose, Romance
- Renaissance, Poetry, Drama
- Elizabethan Poetry, Prose
- Sonnets, Poetry, Rhyme
- Elizabethan, Early Stuart, Drama
- Shakespeare, Plays, Poetry
- Restoration, Romanticism, Modernism
- Early Stuart, Poetry, Prose
- Jonson, Cavalier Poets
- Milton, Poetry, Epic
- Restoration, Poetry, Drama
- Locke, Enlightenment, Essays
- Enlightenment, Satire, Novels
- Swift, Satire, Poetry
- Novels, Fiction, Classics
- Romanticism, Poetry, Wordsworth
- Romanticism, Poetry, Novels
- Poetry, Romanticism, Satire
- Discursive Prose
- Victorian, Post-Romantic, Poetry
- Dickens, Victorian, Novels
- Romanticism, Poetry, Verse
- Victorian, Poetry, Novels
- Modernism, Poetry, Novels
- Modernism, Poetry, Novels
- WWI, Interwar, Poetry
- WWII, Poetry, Novels
- Poetry, Verse, Sonnets
- 21st Century, Poetry, Novels
englyn
englyn, a group of strict Welsh poetic metres. The most popular form is the englyn unodl union (âdirect monorhyme......
enjambment
enjambment, in prosody, the continuation of the sense of a phrase beyond the end of a line of verse. T.S. Eliot......
Enthymeme
Enthymeme, in syllogistic, or traditional, logic, name of a syllogistic argument that is incompletely stated. In......
entrelacement
entrelacement, a literary technique in which several simultaneous stories are interlaced in one larger narrative.......
envelope
envelope, in poetry, a device in which a line or a stanza is repeated so as to enclose a section of verse, as in......
envoi
envoi, the usually explanatory or commendatory concluding remarks to a poem, essay, or book. The term is specifically......
epanalepsis
epanalepsis, the repetition of a word or phrase after intervening language, as in the first line of Algernon Charles......
epic
epic, long narrative poem recounting heroic deeds, although the term has also been loosely used to describe novels,......
epic formula
epic formula, convention of language and theme peculiar to oral epic poetry that is often carried over to the written......
epic simile
epic simile, an extended simile often running to several lines, used typically in epic poetry to intensify the......
epideictic oratory
epideictic oratory, according to Aristotle, a type of suasive speech designed primarily for rhetorical effect.......
epigram
epigram, originally an inscription suitable for carving on a monument, but since the time of the Greek Anthology......
epilogue
epilogue, a supplementary element in a literary work. The term epilogue carries slightly different meanings in......
epinicion
epinicion, lyric ode honouring a victor in one of the great Hellenic games. The epinicion was performed usually......
epirrhema
epirrhema, in ancient Greek Old Comedy, an address usually about public affairs. It was spoken by the leader of......
epistle
epistle, a composition in prose or poetry written in the form of a letter to a particular person or group. In literature......
epistolary novel
epistolary novel, a novel told through the medium of letters written by one or more of the characters. Originating......
epitaph
epitaph, an inscription in verse or prose upon a tomb; and, by extension, anything written as if to be inscribed......
epithalamium
epithalamium, song or poem to the bride and bridegroom at their wedding. In ancient Greece, the singing of such......
epithet
epithet, adjective or phrase that is used to express a characteristic of a person or thing, such as Ivan the Terrible.......
epizeuxis
epizeuxis, in literature, a form of repetition in which a word is repeated immediately for emphasis, as in the......
epode
epode, a verse form composed of two lines differing in construction and often in metre, the second shorter than......
epyllion
epyllion, brief narrative poem in dactylic hexameter of ancient Greece, usually dealing with mythological and romantic......
Ercles vein
Ercles vein, a rousing, somewhat bombastic manner of public speaking or writing. In William Shakespeareâs A Midsummer......
erotica
erotica, literary or artistic works having an erotic theme; especially, books treating of sexual love in a sensuous......
Escola Velha
Escola Velha, (Portuguese: âOld Schoolâ), Spanish dramatists in the early 16th century who were influenced by the......
essay
essay, an analytic, interpretative, or critical literary composition usually much shorter and less systematic and......
Estonian literature
Estonian literature, body of writings in the Estonian language. The consecutive domination of Estonia from the......
Ethiopian literature
Ethiopian literature, writings either in classical GeÊżez (Ethiopic) or in Amharic, the principal modern language......
ethos
ethos, in rhetoric, the character or emotions of a speaker or writer that are expressed in the attempt to persuade......
eumolpique
eumolpique, poetic measure devised by the French poet and composer Antoine Fabre dâOlivet (1767â1825). It consists......
euphemism
euphemism, a mild or indirect word or phrase used in place of a statement or word that is considered disagreeable......
euphony and cacophony
euphony and cacophony, sound patterns used in verse to achieve opposite effects: euphony is pleasing and harmonious;......
euphuism
euphuism, an elegant Elizabethan literary style marked by excessive use of balance, antithesis, and alliteration......
exemplum
exemplum, short tale originally incorporated by a medieval preacher into his sermon to emphasize a moral or illustrate......
exordium
exordium, in literature, the beginning or introduction, especially the introductory part of a discourse or composition.......
extrametrical
extrametrical, in prosody, exceeding the usual or prescribed number of syllables in a given metre. Also, in reference......
eye rhyme
eye rhyme, in poetry, an imperfect rhyme in which two words are spelled similarly but pronounced differently (such......
fable
fable, narrative form, usually featuring animals that behave and speak as human beings, told in order to highlight......
fabliau
fabliau, a short metrical tale made popular in medieval France by the jongleurs, or professional storytellers.......
fabula Atellana
fabula Atellana, (Latin: âAtellan playâ), the earliest native Italian farce, presumably rustic improvisational......
fabula palliata
fabula palliata, any of the Roman comedies that were translations or adaptations of Greek New Comedy. The name......
fairy
fairy, a mythical being of folklore and romance usually having magic powers and dwelling on earth in close relationship......
fairy tale
fairy tale, wonder tale involving marvelous elements and occurrences, though not necessarily about fairies. The......
fake news
fake news, false or deceptive stories presented as legitimate news content. Although exact definitions vary because......
Famous Books During the Mughal Empire
The literary culture of the Mughal Empire was among the most productive in the early modern world, and its surviving......
Famous Literary Fandoms: 10 Notable Works of Fan Fiction
Have you ever wished you could change a storyâs ending? If the answer is yes, the solution could be fan fiction:......
Famous West Indians in Sports and Entertainment
The islands of the West Indies have given the world an incredible range of talented people who have excelled in......
fantasy
fantasy, imaginative fiction that relies on strangeness of setting (such as other worlds or times) and of characters......
farce
farce, a comic dramatic piece that uses highly improbable situations, stereotyped characters, extravagant exaggeration,......
Faroese literature
Faroese literature, the body of writings produced by inhabitants of the Faroe Islands in the Faroese and the Danish......
fashionable novel
fashionable novel, early 19th-century subgenre of the comedy of manners portraying the English upper class, usually......
fate tragedy
fate tragedy, a type of play especially popular in early 19th-century Germany in which a malignant destiny drives......
fellow traveler
fellow traveler, originally, a writer in the Soviet Union who was not against the Russian Revolution of 1917 but......
feminine ending
feminine ending, in prosody, a line of verse having an unstressed and usually extrametrical syllable at its end.......
feminine rhyme
feminine rhyme, in poetry, a rhyme involving two syllables (as in motion and ocean or willow and billow). The term......
femme fatale
femme fatale, a seductive and beautiful woman who brings disaster to anyone with whom she becomes romantically......
Fenian cycle
Fenian cycle, in Irish literature, tales and ballads centring on the deeds of the legendary Finn MacCumhaill (MacCool)......
Fescennine verse
Fescennine verse, early native Italian jocular dialogue in Latin verse. At vintage and harvest, and probably at......
fiction
fiction, literature created from the imagination, not presented as fact, though it may be based on a true story......
fili
fili, professional poet in ancient Ireland whose official duties were to know and preserve the tales and genealogies......
Finnish literature
Finnish literature, the oral and written literature produced in Finland in the Finnish, Swedish, and, during the......
fit
fit, in literature, a division of a poem or song, a canto, or a similar division. The word, which is archaic, is......
flashback
flashback, in motion pictures and literature, narrative technique of interrupting the chronological sequence of......
flat and round characters
flat and round characters, characters as described by the course of their development in a work of literature.......
Flemish literature
Flemish literature, the body of written works in the Flemish- (Dutch-) language produced by Belgians. The other......
flyting
flyting, (Scots: âquarreling,â or âcontentionâ), poetic competition of the Scottish makaris (poets) of the 15th......
foil
foil, in literature, a character who is presented as a contrast to a second character so as to point to or show......
folk literature
folk literature, the lore (traditional knowledge and beliefs) of cultures having no written language. It is transmitted......
foolâs literature
foolâs literature, allegorical satires popular throughout Europe from the 15th to the 17th century, featuring the......
foot
foot, in verse, the smallest metrical unit of measurement. The prevailing kind and number of feet, revealed by......
foreshadowing
foreshadowing, the organization and presentation of events and scenes in a work of fiction or drama so that the......
formes fixes
formes fixes, Principal forms of music and poetry in 14th- and 15th-century France. Three forms predominated. The......
fornaldarsǫgur
fornaldarsǫgur, class of Icelandic sagas dealing with the ancient myths and hero legends of Germania, with the......
found poem
found poem, a poem consisting of words found in a nonpoetic context (such as a product label) and usually broken......
fourteener
fourteener, a poetic line of 14 syllables; especially, such a line consisting of seven iambic feet. The form is......
frame story
frame story, overall unifying story within which one or more tales are related. In the single story, the opening......
free verse
free verse, poetry organized to the cadences of speech and image patterns rather than according to a regular metrical......
French literature
French literature, the body of written works in the French language produced within the geographic and political......
- Introduction
- Medieval, Poetry, Romance
- Chansons de Geste
- Medieval, Lyric, Epic
- 14th Century Lyricism
- Religious Drama
- Renaissance, Poetry, Novels
- Voltaire, Hugo, Balzac
- Prose, Novels, Poetry
- Baroque, Neo-Classicism, Enlightenment
- Drama, Theatre, Plays
- Epic, Romance, Chivalry
- Fatalism, Racine, Tragedy
- Classical, Enlightenment, Revolution
- Enlightenment, Satire, Revolution
- Drama, Comedy, Poetry
- Novels, Realism, Romanticism
- Laclos, Enlightenment, Novels
- Enlightenment, Revolution, Romanticism
- Romanticism, Poetry, Novels
- Romantic Theatre, Drama, Comedy
- Constant, Balzac, Realism
- Sand, Realism, Naturalism
- Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism
- Realism, Symbolism, Naturalism
- Leconte de Lisle, Parnassianism, Poetry
- Realism, Novels, 19th Century
- Realism, Flaubert, Novels
- Naturalism, Realism, Flaubert
- Romanticism, Symbolism, Decadence
- Symbolism, Poetry, Imagery
- Modernism, Symbolism, Surrealism
- Proust, Claudel, Realism
- Political Commitment
- Poetry, Verse, Rhyme
- Existentialism, Absurdism, Surrealism
- Nouveau Roman, Existentialism, Absurdism
- Postwar Poetry, Symbolism, Surrealism
- Structuralism, Symbolism, Realism
- Renaissance, Enlightenment, Modernism
- Postmodernism, Feminism, Existentialism
- Postmodernism, Feminism, Globalization
- Novels, Romances, Satire
Frisian literature
Frisian literature, the literature that is written in West Frisian, a language closely related to Old English,......
From Tortoises to Tricksters: 5 Famous Aesopâs Fables
The bonfire is crackling, and we are gathered here as our ancestors once were, sharing stories, passing down wisdom,......
Frost Medal
Frost Medal, annual poetry award presented by the Poetry Society of America in recognition of the lifetime achievements......
fu
fu, Chinese literary form combining elements of poetry and prose. The form developed during the Han dynasty (206......
FĂ©librige
Félibrige, association organized in the 19th century for the maintenance of the Provençal customs and language......
Gaelic Revival
Gaelic Revival, resurgence of interest in Irish language, literature, history, and folklore that was inspired by......
gai saber
gai saber, the art of composing love poetry; especially the art of the Provençal troubadours as set forth in a......
gaucho literature
gaucho literature, Spanish American poetic genre that imitates the payadas (âballadsâ) traditionally sung to guitar......